Child-related leave

Child-related leave in the LGPS means:

• ordinary maternity or adoption leave – normally the first 26 weeks
• paid additional maternity or adoption leave – normally week 27 to week 39
• paid shared parental leave
• paternity leave, and
• paid parental bereavement leave.

During a period of relevant child-related leave, we usually work out your pension using your assumed pensionable pay. We use this to work out your pension to make sure you don’t lose out. This means you’ll continue to build up a pension in the section of the LGPS you’re in, as if you were working normally and receiving normal pay.

If you’re in the 50/50 section and you go on to no pay during:

• ordinary maternity leave
• ordinary adoption leave or
• paternity leave,

you’ll automatically move to the main section of the LGPS from the beginning of the next pay period. You’d start to build up full pension benefits in the LGPS even though you’re not paying pension contributions.

Unpaid additional leave

Any period of unpaid additional maternity or adoption leave, or unpaid shared parental leave will not count for pension purposes unless you pay extra pension contributions to buy the pension you’ve ‘lost.’ The extra contributions are additional pension contributions (APCs). If you choose to pay APCs to buy ‘lost’ pension within 30 days of returning to work or longer if your employer allows it, the cost will be split between you and employer. You pay one third of the cost, your employer pays the remaining two thirds.

Use the extra pension calculator to find out more about paying APCs and the cost to you.

Please fill in the Buying back lost pension form and send to your employer. Once you’ve printed out the results of the calculator, please send a copy of both forms  to us at pensions@westnorthants.gov.uk